Eight year-old Sanchita Gurung is deaf and has difficulty walking. She lives in the rural village of Arughat in the hills of Gorkha. Isolation and stigma from her disability has interrupted her education and seen her experience discrimination in her own community.
When INF began working in Gorkha, Sanchita’s parents joined an INF facilitated Self-Help Group. The group has helped change community attitudes towards disability and enabled Sanchita to return to school. This is her story…
Sanchita was born deaf, the youngest of three siblings. Her parents are farmers and also run a bakery in their village. There were no schools in her village equipped to cater for deaf students and so Sanchita was sent to a residential boarding school in Gorkha, a day’s walk from her village. Being so far from her parents at such a young age was difficult and eventually Sanchita’s parents brought her home. She stopped attending school and spent most days playing inside their house.
One day while walking on the road a car struck Sanchita, most likely because she couldn’t hear the vehicle near her. Since the accident she has had difficulty walking and treatment has been very expensive for the family. They have taken out several loans and had to employ a carer to look after Sanchita while they are work.
Isolated and alone Sanchita experienced discrimination in her own community due the stigma surrounding disabilities.
When INF began working in Gorkha Sanchita’s parents joined a Self-Help Group. The group provided counseling for Sanchita’s parents, awareness raising around disabilities in the community and assisted in her return to Manakamana School for the deaf in Gorkha. Sanchita is now enjoying school and her parents feel much happier about her future.
“If INF had not come to this place, Sanchita’s life would have never changed. We are thankful towards INF. We now believe our daughter will be able to live her life in a smooth way,” says Sanchita’s parents.
Self-Help Groups play a key role in INF’s Community Health and Development work across hundreds of communities in Western Nepal.